Caster-socket.



No. 693,875. Patented Feb. 25, l9o2.-.

W. LIVINGSTDNE.

(FASTER SOCKET.

' (Application filed 17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' -Witnesses: f' I W K a Y Wzllzam' Lwuzgs ww;

v i y y UNrrEo STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE, OF FLUSI IING, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR T-O HIMSELF,

ANDSAMUEL P. PORTER, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CASTER-SOCKET.

S'EEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 693,87 5, dated February 25, 1902. Application filed January 1'7, 1901- Scrial No.43rd7fi. No model.)

To (LZZ 1071 0111, it may con-007%;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM l'nvinesronn, a citizen of the United States, residing'in Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and I useful Improvements in Caster-Sockets, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in caster-sockets, and more particularly relates to that class which is formed out of sheet metal and carries an integral track-plate. Such caster sockets. have heretofore been commonly made from sheet-metal blanks of such configuration as to contain within their :5 original areas all the surface needed for the formation of the socket and track-plate. The circumference of this track-plate is necessarily so much larger than the circumference of the socket that such a blank must be in all cases of so irregular a form as to necessitate a very large percentage of scrap or Waste material between the blanks and by so much increase the cost of production. Moreover, such sockets have a plurality of longitudinal seams, which decreases their strength.

The principal object of my invention is to avoid this waste of material by producing a caster-socket and integral track-plate from a blank closely approaching a perfectrectanguo lar form,with the least possible waste between them, and securing not only cheaper production, but greater rigidity and compactness.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 3 5 a side elevation of one form of a sheet-metal blank from which a socket and track-plate are to be formed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the blank with indentations or corrugations formed at the lower end. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking from the leftin Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a section on the line a a of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is bottom plan View of Fig. 2. top plan view thereof. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View of a tube formed from the corru- 5 gated blank: Fig. 8 is a side elevation there? of. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same at right angles to Fig. 8. I Fig. 10 is a top plan View of the tube. Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively a plan view and a side elevation of the tube after the next step of expanding the corrugations; and Figs. 13, 1a, and 15 Fig. 6 is a are respectively a side elevation, a central vertical section, and a top plan view of the socket and track-plate in its finished state.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In manufacturing my improved socket a blank A, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1,

is stamped or otherwise formed from sheet 69 metal of suitable dimensions and quality, which comprises a body portion 10, with narrow side projections 11 11, and at one end a central projection 12 and side projections 13 13 14 14. The projection 12 may be equal in length to the projections 13 13 and approximately equal in width to their combined width, and the projections 14 14, which are situated between 12 and 13 13, are preferably of a somewhat greater length. The blank 70 being submitted to the action of suitable dies, or the sheet metal previous to the cutting of the blank being acted upon' by what are generally called gang-dies, will receive at one end 'a series of conical indentations or corrugations 15, as particularly shown in Figs. 2 to 6, the metal at the outer or larger ends of the corrugations being madesornewhat thinner by the process. The number of these corrugations is controlled by the consideration ofthe'efficacy and durability of the dies, and their length is equal to the width of the completed track-plate measured upon its surface. Their inner ends at 16 lie in a straight line equal in length to the outer circumference of the tubular portion of the' completed socket, while the outer ends at 17 lie in a sinuous line equal in length to the circumference of the finished track-plate.

As the length of this sinuous. line is to the go I straight line at the upper end of the corrugations, so is the thickness of metal at the straight line to its thickness at the outer end. The side walls of each of the corrugations preferably taper or diverge from the common inner points 16 to points 18, which lie in the] line which will ultimately be the outside cir cumference of the bottom ofthe track-plate, and over this diverging portion the reduction in thickness may be gradual outward. From Ion 18 to the outside at 17 the side walls are sub stantially parallel at their inner edges, be-

cause that part of the blank is designed to be the upturned rim of the plate, which has the same circumference. As the next step in the manufacture of the socket the side projections 11 11 of the corrugated blank are turned or bent preferably at right angles to the body 10, and the blank is then rolled or bent into tubular shape, with a single seam at the meeting edges of the blank, as is illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10, the projections 11 11 meeting to form a tenon, which may make its own mortise in the opening in the furniture into which the socket is forced. In the following step this tubular form may be subjected to the action of suitable dies or otherwise operated upon to expand the corrugations, as is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, then to form the same into the completed shape of the track-plate, (shown in Figs. 13 to 15,) and finally to bend the projections 1t 14; into shape to form opposite springs or engaging projections for holding the casterpintle in its proper place in the socket in use and permitting the same to be withdrawn when desired. lhe projections 1'23 and the meeting projections 13 13 will form bearingsurfaces or continuations of the wall of the socket of approximately equal width between the spring projections It 14. Obviously two or more of these last operations. may be performed by a single action of a suitable die or separately, as is found convenient.

It will be seen that the caster-socket above described will be strong, convenient to use, and inexpensive to produce.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-' 1. A tubular socket for casters provided with a single seam extending longitudinally thereof and having one end bent transversely to the body of the socket to fornran integral track-plate the thickness of the material of which decreases radially outward throughout the entire breadth of the track-plate whereby metal is supplied for forming those portions of the track-plate extending beyond the body of the socket.

2. A tubular socket for casters provided with a single seam extending longitudinally thereof and having one end bent transversely to the body of the socket to form an integral track-plate with an upturned outer edge, the

thickness of the material of the track-plate 4. A tubular socket for casters provided with a single seam and radial flanges extending longitudinally thereof the socket having at ohe end projections forming engaging members 'for a caster-pintle and having its opposite end bent transversely to form an integral track-plate with an upturned edge, the thickness of the material of which track-plate decreases radially outward throughout its entire breadth whereby metal is supplied for forming those portions of the track-plate extending beyond the body of the socket.

5. A blank for forming a one-piece castersocket, said blank being provided with corrugations in one side'lor forming the track-plate of the socket.

(3. A blank for forming a one-piece castersocket provided with projections at one end to form engaging members for a caster-pintle; and corrugations at the opposite end and in that portion which forms the track-plate of the socket, said corrugations having parallel sides for a portion of their length and tapering sides at the inner extremities of the corrugations, and the blank having lateral projections to form a strengthening-flange along the seam and insure rigidity of the socket.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE.

\Vitn esses:

S. II. Gone, 0. A. WEED. 

